Traffic signal



June 30, 1925.

C. LAWYER TRAFFIC SIGNAL Fileqm arch 26, 1923 2- Sheets-Sheet l gmnntozJune 30, 19 25. .4

- c. LAWYER TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed March 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gwventoz kj CaZvin ":[qk1ger Gummy Patented June 3t), 1925.

UNITED STATES CALVIN LAWYER, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHITSETTS.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed March 26, 1923. Serial No. 627,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN LAWYER, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Newburyport in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTraffic Signals, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in trafiic signals and itis an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device ofthis general character adapted to be carried by the vehicle and havingnovel and improved means whereby notice can be given to the front and tothe rear of the direction in which the vehicle is to make a turn or thatthe vehicle is to stop.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improveddevice of this general character comprising a semaphore adapted forswinging movement in a vertical direction together with visual meanscarried by the semaphore to indicate the direction in which a vehicle isto turn or that the vehicle is to stop. 7 I

Furthermore it is an object of the invention to provide a novel andimproved device of this general character adapted to be supported by theframe of the windshield or other part of the vehicle together withmanually operated means for adjusting a semaphore to give the desiredsignal or indication.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improvedsignal of this general character comprising a plurality of separatelyoperated illuminated signals to give the desired indication of warningand wherein the rays from said separate signals are of different colors.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved traflicsignal whereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the bet ter understood I will nowproceed to de-' scribe the same with reference to thefaccompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a v1ew in perspective of a traflic signalconstructed in accordance with i an embodiment of my invention, asecond. position of the semaphorebeing indicated by dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through my improvedsignal as herein'set forth;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 33of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the pivoted end portion of thesemaphore and opposite to that shown in Figure 1, other positions of thesemaphore being indicated by broken lines; t

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuits for the bulbsarranged within the compartments carried by the semaphore' As disclosedin the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a flatmember or arm of desireddimension and which is adapted to be clamped or otherwise secured to theframe F of a windshield or other desired part of a vehicle. The innerorsecuring end portion of the member or arm 1 is provided with alaterally disposed arm 2 for a purpose to be hereinafter more particularly referred to. V

S denotes a semaphore of requisite dimension and which hasv one endportion pivotally engaged witha laterally disposed trunnion 3 carried bythe outer end portion of the member or arm 1 whereby the semaphore S iscapable of swinging movement in a vertical direction. Associated. withthe trunnion 3 "is a nut or head' 4; for maintaining the semaphore inoperative engagement with the trunnion 3.

The nut or head 4 provides a bearing for one end portion of a shaft 5,the opposite end portion of said shaft being disposed through androtatably supported by semaphore S. The teeth 8 as herein dis-' closedare provided by producing suitable recessesin the sideface-of thesemaphore Sand said teeth are also concentric to the trunnion, 3. Bythismeans upon requisite rocking or turning moVement being his parted tothe shaft 5, the semaphore S will 7 be raised or lowered as desired.

The semaphore S at its outer endportion is provided with a, series oftransversely spaced compartments 9, herein disclosed as p three innumber, eachof-said compartments "9 hav ngtheirside faces closedlay-trans parent panels Associated with each of the panels 10 is adesired warning or indication 11 such as Stop, Left, and

Rite. It is also preferred that the panels carrying: the Stop indicationare red,

the panels provided with the Left llfdlfcation being green and theremaining panels 10 carrying the Rite, indication being blue. Inaddition to warningbeing given by. the'indications 11, a further warningis given. by the dilferent colored rays as pro duced by the variouspanels 10; I

Carried by the inner end portion of each of the compartments 9 isasocket 12 of a conventional type in which is adapted to beengaged abulb14 of an incandescent type. The contact of each of the sockets isconnected through the conductor a with a source of electrical energyEwhile a second contact of each of the sockets 12 is elec t-ricallyconnected througha conductor 1),

with a contact member 15 carried by the in;

ner or pivoted end portion of the sema phoreS. Carried by: the outer endportion of the member or arm 1 is a contact mem-' ber 16inelectricalconnection through the conductor 0 with the source E.

When the semaphore S is in its lowermost or normal position, the contactmember 16' is freefrom the contact members 15. When a turn is: to bemade to the left the semaphore is adjusted', upon proper rocking of theshaft 5, into a position substantially co lanar withthe member or arm 1and o w ie'n in such position the contact member 16 engagesth'e contactmember '15 to cause the bulb l wi'thinthe Left compartment 9 to burn.When a turn is tobe made to the right, the semaphore assumes a positionabove the horizontal and requisite contact sitions.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious" that atraflic signal constructed in accordance with my invention isparticularly well adapted for use by rea son of the convenience andfacility withwhich it may be assembled and operated; and

itwill also be obvious thatmy invention is V susceptible of some change.and modification without I departingfrom the principles; and

spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wishtobe'understood asllimiting myself to the precise arrangementand formation of the several;parts herein shownin carrye 'mg out my invention in practice except ashereinafter claimed. a ICl2lTl'1ZT A signal of the class describedcomprising a supporting member providedwith a trunk nion' and with anoutstanding arm,- a semaphore having one end portidnpivotal-ly en'gagred' with the trunnion; a head engafg'eable with the trunnion forholding the semaphore in applied position; a'sh'aft carried by'the headand the outstanding arm-of -the': sup

porting member, coactingi-means' carried by the shaft and semaphorefornswinging said semaphore u'p'on rotation of the shaft; amt

a rock arm carried by the shaft,:said roclrx arm being, providedadjacent to its outer end witha laterally disposed lag in close contactwith the arm carried byfthe' supporting member. s

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature LAWYEitf i

